halsted



.Y sheets-sheer 1. A. M. HA'LSTED. l Incubator. n N'o.r236,1886. P atented'Jan.25, 188|.

Witnesses: Invader:

@ x/nml, Y

N. PETERS, PHOTOJJYHDGRAFHAER, WASHINGTON. D C.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. M. HALSTE'D.

Incubator. NQ. 236,886. v Patented Jan. 25,1881.

Wifesses;

@L s -f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i AUGUSTUS M. HALS'IED,OF RYE, NEW YORK.

INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,886, dated January 25, 1881.

Application filed September 16, 1879.

To all lwhom it may concern Beit known that I, AUGUSTUS M. HALsTED, of Rye, county of Westchester, State of New York, am the inventor of an Improved Incubator Apparatus, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partl of this specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the incubation or hatching of eggs 5 and it consists inthe devices and their combination hereinafter particularly described, and more at length recited in the claims, whereby a durable apparatus, and one not liable to be affected in its parts by the variations in temperature to which it is subjected,is constituted, and whereby the variations in temperature in the hatchingchamber may he automatically limited to a certain predetermined degree, and a substantially equable temperature may be maintained at all times in the hatching-chamber, and whereby the degree of heat to be maintained in the hatching-chamber may be regulated or altered, as may be desired, from the exterior, of the apparatus, and without disturbing the said chamber or its contents, or allowing the contact with its contained heated atmosphere ot' the external air, while at the same time the perfect ventilation ot' the hatching-chamber is secured, and whereby the atinospheric conditions and temperairef the hatching-chamber` with relation to the contained eggs may he made to correspond accurately to the similar conditions demanded and afforded by nature for the best results in incubation, all as hereinafter set forth.

Figure l, Sheet 1, isa front elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2, Sheet l, is a plan of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a vertical central sectional View of the apparatus on the line x .t of Fig. 4. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a horizontal sectional view ot' the apparatus on the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, Sheet 3, is an end elevation ot the apparatus, showing the water-boiler and its lamp, and the devices employed to regulate the temperature in and secure the ventilation of the hatching chamber..V Fig. 6, Sheet 3, is an elevation of the opposite end ot the apparatus. Figs. 7

and 8, Sheet 4, are side and plan views, in detail, ofthe thermostatic bar and its regulating devices which I employ in my apparatus. Figs. 9 and 10, Sheet 4, are plan and sectional views, respectively, ofthe peculiarlamp-burner and the mechanism for raising and lowering the llame which I employ in my apparatus, but which burner and said mechanism I do not intend herein to claim as new, reserving the same to be made the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent to be made hereafter. Fig. 11, Sheet 4, is an enlarged View, in detail, of the devices employed to raise and lower the iiame of the lamp of the boiler.

A is the hatchingchamber, which is preferably Varranged in the lower part ot' the apparatus, as shown, immediately beneath the heating tank or device B. In the hatching-chamber A is the tray a, which may be passed into or removed from said chamber through the door a', said door being preferably glazed, as shown, to allow of the :inspection of the chamber from the outside of the apparatus without opening the door. Beneath the tray a, and within the chamber A, is arranged the Water pan or reservoir a2, to be illed with cold Water, between the tray and pan there being placed the screen a3. The bottom ofthe tray a should be so constructed as to allow the free circulation ot' the air through it, and this is preferably accomplished by having said bottom formed of transverse rods extending from side to side of the tray-frame, as shown, and said rods should also be placed at such a distance f apart that an egg will rest between two adjacent rods, so that the eggs placed in the tray will not roll about, but will be held in position on the tray-bottom. I also find it desirable to have the said bottom hollowing or concave in form-that is, lower in the center ot' the tray than at the ends--inasmuch as the heat radiated from the surface of the tank or heater B is somewhat greater at the'center of the chamber than at the ends, and as it is desirable to have the heat felt at the same degree throughout the tray. In this tray it is intended that the eggs to be incubated should be placed, and Ind it desirable that a layer of cotton or linen cloth, as shown at (1.4, Fig. 3, should be interposed immediately under the eggs, and between them and the water-pan a2 below the tray.

It is evident that by means of the construc- IOO tion and arrangement ot' the hatching-chainber as described I am able to most closely realize those conditions demanded by nature for the best results in incubation-namely, a Warm damp atmosphere on the under side ot the egg, as when the hen sets upon a nest made on the ground, and a warmer dry atmosphere at the upper side of the egg, as is pro duced by the contact of the egg with the hens body on the nest. My apparatus being in operatiomthe water in the pan a2 evaporates, and thus will cause the atmosphere in the lower part of the hatching-chamber beneath the tray to be moist, and this moist atmosphere will be felt upon the under side of the eggs in the tray, while the upper part of the hatching-chamber above the tray will be tilled with a warmer dry atmosphere by the radiation from the heater B, immediately over the tray, which will be felt on the upper side ofthe eggs. As the chicks are hatched out, the screen a prevents them from falling into the water-pau below. The eggs should, of course, be turned in the tray at proper intervals ot time, and this is readily accomplished by drawing out the tray for the purpose and then replacing it.

The heating device which I prefer to einploy is a tank, B, placed directly over the hatching-chamber, so that from its under surface is radiated the heat required in the process of incubation. Water is heated in the boiler b, and circulates from thence through the pipe b and its branch pipes b2 and b3 into the tank B. The pipes b2 and b are arranged as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, passing through the tank B, and around the inside thereof to the opposite end thereof, and there extending across to opposite sides and discharging into the tank at opposite corners ot' the end farthest from the source of supply. A pipe, (1*, leads from the end of the tank opposite to that at which the supply-pipes bz and b3 discharge their heated water back into the boiler, as shown. I. am by means of this construction of parts enabled to obtain the full ett'ects of the heat imparted to the water in the boiler,

and also to maintain a perfect circulation ot" the water from the boiler through the tank and back into the boiler. At bf is au orifice for filling the tank B with water, and at b' is an air-vent. A glass gage, IF, set in the wall of the tank, as shown in Fig. 1, enables the operator to observe the height of the water in the tank.

The boiler b, which I employ, having been heretofore used in connection with incubators. I will not particularly describe it, as itis fully shown in the drawings; but the lamp by means of which the heating of the water in the boiler is accomplished contains improvements which l shall hereinafter describe.

1t is well known that to secure the incubation of eggs the temperature of the surrounding air must be maintained at a given degree, and that a variation from this required temperature will be fatal to successful hatching of thechicks. It is also necessary that the air about the eggs should be kept pure and free from noxious gases. To secure these conditions I employ the following devices:

Within the chamber A, or under the influence ot' the temperature thereof, I place a therlnostatic bar, I), as shown in Fig. 3, and in detail enlarged in Figs. 7 and 8. This bar I prefer to construct of a metal strip, d, secured upon a vulcanized rubber plate or strip, d. To secure the best results, it is preferable to place this bar D over the egg-tray and imme diately beneath the radiating-surface of the heater B, as is shown in the drawings; and when the bar is thus arranged I lind it desirable to secure the strips of which the bar is composed together by means of rivets or other such fastcnings, as shown, placed upon each edge of the metal strip throughout the length thereof. By this means I am able to overcome the objectionable tendency in the bar to bend edgewise, as well as iiatwise, when inuenced by the heat radiated from the heater B, suoli edgewise bending occurring when the two strips are secured to each other by asingle row ot' rivets, asis usual in the construction ot' these bars. One end of this bar is rigidly secured to a lever, di, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) which is pivotcd to one side of a plate, d5, so as to swing laterally thereon. said lever being provided with the spring d6, acting upon one arm, and the thumb-screw d?, turning in said plate and impiugingon the other arm. Upon the opposite side of' said plate d5 is formed the sharp or knifeedge projection d, its edge being at right angles to the axis of the pivot of the lever d2, and from said plate extend the rods or bolts d9 and d'0, above and below the said projection d", respectively, and furnished with thumb-nuts, as shown. These described de vices I find are to be preferably' employed to adjust the thermostatic bar, both vertically and horizontally, in the chamberA. The plate d5 is placed so that its projection dB impinges upon the inner face ot' the wall of the chamber A, at one end thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, and the screw al'l and the bolts d and du extend through the said wall to the exterior of the apparatus, said bolts thus serving to hold the Iixed end of the bar in position. The bar reaches the length ot' the chamber A, and its free end, or an arm, d, tixed thereon, extends through a slot, d, in the opposite wall, as shown.

At E is a Ventilating shaft or tine leading from the chamber A upward into the external air. In this i'lue is the damper e on the axial shaft e', which extends outward from the apparatus on the same end as the free end of the bar D, as shown. Now it is evident that if, when the air in the chamberA becomes heated to atemperature higher than that necessary for the incubation of the eggs, the damper is swung on its shaft so as to open the ue E, and is then swung so as to close said flue and keep it closed while the air in the said chamber is at the proper temperature for the incubation ofthe eggs, substantially equable tem- IOO IIO

l perature may be at all times maintained in the chamber A.

It is well known that a thermostatic bar such as I have herein described will be flexed or bent more or less, as the temperature to which it is exposed or subjected is higher or lower, and that such a bar is exceedingly sensitive to changes in the temperature; and it is evident that, one end of my described bar being held rigidly by the devices set forth, the free end'will be caused to move horizontally by the exing or curving of the bar as the changes of temperature in the chamber A 0c` cur. This movement of the free end of the bar D in one direction, when the temperature in the chamber A rises above the desired degree, I utilize to open the damper e in the ilue E, and the movement of said end of the bar in the opposite direction, when the temperature in said chamber has fallen to and remains at or below the desired degree, I utilize to close and hold shut the said damper by means of suitable transmitting mechanism interme` diate to the free end of the bar D and the damper e. I nd that the following-described mechanism is well adapted for this purpose, and I prefer to employ it: A lever, F, is pivoted to a suitable plate, f, upon the exterior of the apparatus, as seen plainly in Fig. 5. In the end of one arm of this lever is a slot, f', which engages the free end du of the bar D, which projects through the slot dl2 in the wall of the apparatus, as before set forth. The end of the other arm of the lever carries two lingers, f2

and f3, which are turned or inclined toward each other, with a space or opening between their adjacent tips or ends, as seen in the drawings. Upon the end of the shaft e of the damper e is a reel, e2, from the perimeter of which project the alternate pairs of diametrically-opposte radial arms @and e4, upon the ends of whichI are the angular fingers e5, the pair of arms e3 being longer than the pair e4, so that the finger on either of the arms c3 may engage the fingerj'2 of the lever F, and the linger on either of the arms e4 may engage the 'tingerf of said lever. A cord is wound upon the reel e2, and its free end passes over a pulley or block, e6, and has attached to it a weight, e7, as shown.

VNow it is evident that the bar D may be so adjusted vertically by means of the bolts dg and d10, and horizontally by the thumb-screw dl, that when the exact temperature desired exists in the chamber A the free end of the exed bar D will hold the lever F in position where the iingerf2 of said lever engages the linger upon the end of one of the long arms, e3, and that, these said arms e3 being properly placed on the shaft c with relation to the damper e, the parts being in the positions indicated, the damper e will be closed. When the ltemperature rises in the chamberA, the further ijexing of the bar D will cause its end du to swing the lever F, so that the fingers of the arm e3 will escape from the finger f 2 through the space between the ends of the fingers f2 and f 3, and the shaft e being thus released, the weight e7 will operate to revolve the said shaft, and thus open the damper e. the arms e4 will, by its finger e5, now, as the shaft e' rotates, come in contact with the lingerf of the lever F, and will thus stop the shafts rotation at that point and hold the damper open. As the temperature in the chamber A falls to the desired point the barD will gradually recoil, carrying the lever F with it, until said lever is swung backward into the position where the nger of the arm c4 will escape from the tingerj"3 through the space between the said lingers f3 andf2, as aforesaid,

when the shaft e will rotate,closingthe damper,

and the finger of the other arm, c3, of the pair will engage the iingerf2 of the lever F, stopping the rotation ofthe shaft and holding the damper closed. I am thus enabled, by means of the bar D, placed in the heated chamber A, to utilize the variations of temperature in said chamber to automatically open and close the damper e by means of a suitable transmittin g mechanism intermediate to the barand damper, whereby the variations in the temperature of the said chamber may be confined within certain predetermined and desired limits, and consequently a substantially equable temperature in the said chamber is maintained, while the thorough ventilation of the chamber is secured. The bar D will operate as set forth when so placed as to be influenced by the variations in temperature in the chamber A, even though it may not be placed immediately within the said chamber.

It is also evident that I am able to secure the adjustment of the bar D, and to control and regulate the degree of heat in the chamber A, wholly from the exterior of the apparatus, by means of the bolts df and d1" and the thumb-screw ol"I and their attached devices, the said bolts and screws reaching through the wall to the outside of the machine, as shown. The disturbance of the eggs in, or atmosphere of, the chamber A is thus wholly avoided. A thermometer, T, which projects into the chamber A, has its scale exposed to view above the apparatus, as shown.

It is desirable that the heat applied to the boiler should be reduced or checked during the time that the damper e is open and the temperature in the chamber A is falling. To accomplish this l find it preferable to employ the following devices, in connection with the devices described for opening and closing the damper e: A lever, G, is pivoted to a suitable plate, g, on the exterior of the apparatus, as shown. Upon the end of this lever is the shoulder or projection g', which is arranged to engage one of the pins or studs e, which project at right angles from the perimeter of the reel e2, and are diametrically opposite to each other, and in line, respectively, one with eachA of the arms e4. A rod, g2, connects the lever Gr with a lever', IL, that operates to move a sleeve, It', about the wick of the lamp-burner, to be hereinafter described. The devices are One of 7o IOO IIO

thus so constructed and arranged that when In fabricating my apparatus I construct it the bar D has released the shat't e', so that the wholly of metal, the walls of the hatching- 65 damper in flue E is swung open, the shoulder l chamber and beatingtank being of two thickor projection g' is released by the rotation of uesses of metal, with an interposed nonheat the said shat't from engagement with one of' conducting material, as shown at m.

the pins, e", and, falling by its own weight, causes the lever h to push the sleeve h on the burner up about the wick, and thus reduce the iiame of the lamp. When the bar D has caused the shaft e' to be again released, and the damper in the tine E is closed, the shoulder g is, by the rotation of the shaft, caused to engage the other pin c", and the lever G is thus raised, causing the lever h to pull the sleeve downward on the wick, and thus restoring the llame to its i'ull force.

Instead of raising and lowering the sleeve about the wick, the rod q2 may be arranged to, by suitable devices, move the wick itself up and down in the burner, and thus raise and lower the iiame.

At H is seen the lamp which leniplcy in connection with the boiler. To the reservoirof thelamp is fixed an upwardly-reaching arm, h2. i

This arm carries a hinge-lod, h, which tits into a corresponding socket or sleeve, h, ou the side of the apparatus. Upon the end of the arm h2 is a lug, h5, which is arranged to abut or fit against a lug, h6, txed on the wall of the apparatus. A thumb-screw, hi, passes through these two lugs. By means ot' these devices so arranged, when the thumb-screw [t7 is withdrawn from the lug h5, the lamp will be lowered so that the burner will wholly escape from the chimney in the boiler, and may be swung on its hinges, and thus may be conveniently tilled, trimmed, Src., or it may be wholly detached from the apparatus, while, when it is swung back into place, the burner will be drawn into close contact with thelower rim of the chimney by tightening the screw hi. Upon the burner ot' my lamp, and about the wick-holder, I place a sleeve, h', (see Figs. 9 and 10,) upon diametrically-opposite sides of which are the pinsor studs h". A single piece of wire has one end inserted in an oritice in the burner-frame, as at h, and is then bent at right angles and then turned to form a loop, hl", about one of the pins h, and then carried around the sleeve to the opposite side, and there turned to i'orni a loop about the other pin, aud thence bent at right angles and passed through an orlticein the burner-frame, as at h, beyond which it is again bent to form the hereinbefore-named lever h. Itis evident that by depressing the end forming the lever h the sleeve will be carried upward about the wick, and by again raising said end the sleeve will fall downward. It is not my intention to claim herein this novel burner and sleeve and actuating devices; but I reserve the same to be made the subject-matter of a separate application for Letters Patent.

I thus constitute an apparatus which is thoroughly durable, and which will not be ai'ected by the changes in temperature to which its parts are subjected.

l do not intend to claim herein the peculiar structure ot' the improved thermostat shown, but reserve thc same as the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an incubator apparatus, the hatchingchamber having a suitable heating device above and a water-evaporator pan below the egg tray or holder, having the concave bottom described, together with a wall or layer oi' l'D, held rigidly at one end, its free end cngaging the slotted lever F, carrying iingers j"z f3, together with damper e on shaft e', having weighted reel e2, carrying the alternate pairs of diametricallyppposite radial long and short arms e3 and e", respectively, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In an incubator apparatus, the combination, with the hatching-chamber having heater B and a thermostatic bar, D, of the lever G, with its rods g, projecting shoulder-piece g', arranged to engage pins e8 and reel e2,tcgether with mechanism for transmitting the motion of the free end ot' the bar D to said reel, as and for the purpose specilied.

5. In an incubator apparatus havi ng hatching-chamber and its suitable heating device, the thermostatic bar D, fixed at one end to the springlever d2, which is pivoted to plate d, having projection ds on its reverse side, impinging on inner surface ofthe chamberwall, together with thumb-screw d7 and bolts d9 and d'0, extending from said lever and plate, respectively, through said wall to the exterior of the apparatus, as described, and for the purpose specified.

AUGUSTUS M. HALSTED.

Witnesses ARDEN S. FITCH, M. F. CLIFTON.

IIO 

